This Summer
by Captain Lila Turner
Summary: Takes place right after 21. Suze has finally graudated! And she is totally excited. But, unlike many recent graduates she's got something else to look forward to this summer than just summer love. A murder trial. SASTMJ is back guys!
1. Graduation Engagements

**Hola! Me again! If you haven't read 21, you may want to so you  
will understand this.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm on Paul's good side, so I'll see what I can do.  
But for the time being, I own nothing.**

**Summary: Takes place right after 21. Suze's is graduating, but unlike  
most graduates, she got something else to look forward to in the summer.  
A murder trial.**

**I LOVE YOU GUYS!  
-Autumn-**

**

* * *

**

_And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives  
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25  
I keep thinking times will never change  
Keep on thinking things will always be the same_

"Sometimes, I wonder if any of us ever thought that this day would come. I mean, I certainly didn't think so." I gave a little laugh at that, trying to fight back my tears as I leaned closer to the microphone. "I ask myself if I'm actually ready for this. I mean, I've only been here at the Mission for three years, but it just seemed like I've been here longer."

I looked over at Father Dom and said, "And if you ask Father Dom why it seemed longer, I'm sure he could give you a few reasons why." I actually got a few laughs at that. Mainly people who knew that I was always in his office. Father D beamed at me, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"It just seemed like this was the right school for me. Not that I haven't been through tough times here. I have, but when I went through those times, even when I felt like I couldn't even turn to my own family, I always had people to lean on here. I've made some of the best friends here, that I think I'll ever make."

I paused for a moment as I looked out into the sea of gold and yellow that was before me. Paul winked up at me and I smiled as I continued, "I guess everyone here will agree though. I mean, I know I will. It's about time."

_But when we leave this year we won't be coming back  
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track  
And if you got something that you need to say  
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day_

"I keep thinking that this isn't real. Part of me thinks that I'm going to be walking through those doors next August. I think all of us were like that. Some of us probably accepted that fact that we aren't, but some like me still don't think this is real. We don't have really any more time here, and we won't be coming back here in August. Because by then, we're going to be spread out across the country, possibly even the world." I paused again, blinking away my tears. I looked out into the audience to see Jesse beaming at me from beside my parents.

_Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down  
These memories are playing like a film without sound  
And I keep thinking of that night in June  
I didn't know much of love  
But it came too soon  
_

"So, for this one day, let's just make time stand still. Let's not think that this is the end, but the beginning. And just hope that in 10 years, we'll still remember all the memories that happened inside this school."

My tears were coming, I knew it. I took another deep breath as I said, trying to keep my strong voice, "Don't forget to save your time and to cherish every moment, count not the months but the moments. I can sum up this whole concept with one word: remember. Remember the times of your life spent in this building, the times with you friends. Remembering that if you fail out there in the real world, you can always come back home."

I looked up into the audience, finding that this was a lot easier to keep from crying if I kept eye contact. "Remember who you are right now, remember who you want to become, remember your friends and your family, remember where you came from, remember the good times and the bad times and that without both you cannot not grow into the person you want to be. "

I sighed as I scanned the paper in front of me. I looked up, and was blinded as my mom snapped another picture of me.

_And there was me and you  
And then we got real blue  
Stay at home talking on the telephone  
We would get so excited and we'd get so scared  
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair_

"High school seems like just a bump in the road compared to the mountain we're going to have to climb. But I know we can do it." I glanced back down and noticed that I only had a few more sentences left," ' We know what we are, but know not what we may be.' So, when you get out there to what us is known as 'the real world' and you fall, and you may fail, and you just feel like you'll never recover, just think about that quote. You can't become the person you want to become, if you don't believe you can. Because I know that we all can become that person we've pictured since we first walked into these doors. All be have to do is believe."

I bit my lip, still in a battle with my tears, as I said the final words, "Congratulations Class of 2007. We did it."  
As I said that, two things happened at once. The seniors started cheering, and I started crying.

With the help of Father Dom, I found my way back to my seat. Paul, who was sitting beside me, hugged me and said, "Good job, Simon." I smiled and hugged him back as Father Dom made his way back on the stage.

"Ok, children. Calm down. You're not done yet." When we finally calmed down, he began calling out our names. It seemed like it took forever, before he finally got down to Josephina.

"Josephine Marisol de Silva." I hugged Josie as new tears formed in my eyes. She gracefully walked across the stage and accepted her diploma from Father Dom.

_And this is how it feels..._

I sighed, knowing who was next. _Please, God. Don't let me fall and kill myself on stage._ Paul gave my hand a squeeze as Father Dom said, "Susannah Elizabeth Simon." More tears flowed down my cheeks when my family started cheering. Instead of just getting my diploma and shaking his hand, I hugged him and whispered, "Thank you."

He laughed and hugged me too.

I made my way back down the stairs as Father Dom said, "Paul Daniel Slater." Paul shot a smirk in my direction as he walked across the stairs.

And it all ended up with, "Cee Nicole Webb." After Cee had accepted her letter and came back down the stairs to where the rest of us were standing, Father Dom beamed as he said, "Congratulations Juniperra Serra Class of 2007!"

_As we go on  
We remember  
All the times we  
Had together  
And as our lives change  
Come Whatever  
We will still be  
Friends Forever  
_

I couldn't hear anything after that, because at that moment all of us started screaming like crazy as we tossed our caps into the air. Paul picked me up and spun me around and he yelled, "We did it!"

I laughed when he pulled back, and I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Don't you ever change, Spawn of Satan."  
He laughed and said, "Never will be able too, Susie-Q."

Cee came up a minute later and hugged me as her tears fell down on my shoulder. "Oh, gosh, Suze!" She said with a smile as tears still rolled down her cheek. Paul took her hand and kissed her cheek.

Yes, as cute as it is! The two of them have been together since prom. Josie came over with Jesse following closely behind her. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. "Congratulation, querida. I love you."

I smiled and said, "I love you too."  
"Ok, ok. Come on." Paul said. Jesse shot him an irritated look, knowing what we were about to do.  
"No, Slater."

"Come on, Jesse."

"No."

"Come on!

" I said, NO!"

"COME ON AND DO IT!"

"Jesse, just do it." I said to him in a pleading voice. Jesse gaped at me, but then relaxed and said, "Whatever."  
Paul smiled as he put his hand in, "Fearless Five in five..."

"1."

"2."

"3"

"4."

Paul looked over at Jesse. We were waiting on him. He rolled his eyes and put his hand in and said in a grumpy voice, "5."  
We all raised our hands up and yelled, "FEARLESS FIVE!"

"Oh, gosh. That is so stupid." Jesse mumbled under his breath. I laughed and took his hand, kissing his cheek.  
"Ok, kids. Look over here!" My mom's voice came from behind me. I groaned and said, "Mom, please no-"

"Ok. Say, 'Class of 2007'!" My mom said, raising the camera up. Yeah...no one said it.  
We all smiled, mine was fake, as she snapped her picture. When she was done, she walked up to me and put me in a death grip, "Oh, baby! That was wonderful! I'm so proud of you!"I smiled as I wiped away one of her tears and said, "Thank you."  
"Hey, Suze!" Paul's voice came. I looked to see all of them standing on the Mission's steps. She kissed me and said, "Go on."

I walked away, but ran back to her and hugged her, "I love you, Mom."  
She laughed and said, "I love you too, Susie."

I smiled and ran off with the others. Paul sat down on the railing, looking up into the sky. At first I thought he was staring at the sun, but you know, that would be stupid...but then again this was Paul. He smiled and said, "I can't believe it."  
Jesse smirked and mumbled, "Neither can I." Ignoring Paul's glare, he pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me.

I sighed and looked out at the ocean. Then I looked back at the Mission. Then Paul said, ignoring Jesse for like the tenth time today,  
"It's going to be weird not coming back here next year."  
I smiled at Paul and said, "I'm sure Father Dom won't miss us that much."

Jesse laughed and said, "For once in three years the Mission will actually be in one piece." I rolled my eyes, but smiled as I looked out at the ocean. I was excited for next year, but also not because I knew I had to get through summer. And getting through summer meant the trial. Jesse must have read that in my face since he sighed and said, "Come on."

He took my hand and led me to the grave yard. That's not that weird, guys, gosh.  
"Querida, what's wrong?" He asked that well aware of what was wrong with me. He just wanted to hear me say it. That's how Jesse worked. It's annoying, but it's Jesse.

"I'm just scared is all." I said, sitting down on the bench that faced the Mission. For a grave yard, it was actually very pretty. I mean, with all of the non-depressing flowers and stuff. You really couldn't tell it was a grave yard...you know, if you got past all of the graves.

He sat down beside me as he undid his tie like it had been bothering him. "I mean, I though Ricardo died...I wasn't worried until I woke up."  
He laughed and said, "What are you saying? You shouldn't have woken up?" His smile was wiped off his face when I shot a glare at him. "I'm sorry, Susannah."  
"Yeah, I'm sure you are." Getting over it, I laid my head on his shoulder. "I can't do this. I thought I could do this, but I can't. I mean, what if my secret gets out? When they ask me all those questions, what am I supposed to say?"  
Jesse didn't answer to let me know that that is exactly what he had been thinking. "Like they'd believe me. They'd ship me off to the LoonyBin before you could say Maria de Silva."  
"Susannah, I highly doubt that they'd send you to the LoonyBin." I raised up so I could look him in the eye. "Well, ok. You have a point, but they're just going to ask you about your grandmother, I'm sure. You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to."

"That's lying."

"It's not lying if you don't say anything. You just chose not to tell them." Oo, little Mr. Cowboy has a point.  
"I'm rubbing off on you, Jess." I said, kissing his cheek.  
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." But he smiled as he said that. "Don't worry about it, ok? You're supposed to be happy today."  
I put on a huge, obviously fake smile. "See? Happy!" I said, in a fake cheery voice.

Yeah, Jess. I'm not happy. Not happy at all.

**♥♥♥♥♥**

I walked over to my window seat and sat down, closing my eyes. I reluctantly opened them, secretly wishing that Jesse would materialize beside me. He hasn't done that in about two years now. That's almost weird to think about. How fast those two years went by, I mean.

I looked back over at the rest of my bedroom to see it was in a mess from my packing. But something was still on my bed.  
I walked over to it and looked down at it. The maroon book was still locked with that heart shaped lock. I sighed, because I had been trying to open it since I found it in my grandma's apartment.

"Why won't you open?" I asked it. Yeah, Suze. I'm sure it will talk back to you. I stared at it, like we were engaged in some sort of staring contest. I sighed and said, "Please open?"

It just sat on my bed.

"Damn it!" I said, frustrated as it just sat there...locked...  
I laid back on my bed and stared at the ceiling...well, since I had a pink, princessy canopy bed...I was staring at the ruffling canopy thingy. I reached up and took down the picture of me and Jesse that was hanging on the wall. It was from the Winter Formal. I smiled to myself as I took of the old, dried up orchid that was attached to it.

I hung it back on the wall, next to pictures of me and Cee, and some of Paul. Then the old one of Cee, me and...Adam. I hadn't really talked to him since he broke up with Cee. I didn't want to be mad at him, but he supposedly 'cheated' on Cee. I don't know if he did or not, but according to the "Best Friend Code" that no one apparently listens to anymore, I couldn't still be friends with my best friend's ex-boyfriend who cheated on her. And yes, that does make sense if you read it slowly.

I rolled over at put the pillow over my face. No, I wasn't trying to commit suicide. I was just trying to...you know what? I don't even know what I was trying to do.

My room was so quiet, that it scared me when my mom yelled up the stairs a minute later,"Susie? Jesse's here!"

I'll tell ya, I sprung off that bed so fast that I hit my head on my nightstand. "OW!" I moaned as the pain shot through my head. "Damn it!" And you know what happened when I raised back up? Yep. Got hit on the other side too. A double whammy.

"Suze?" Mom asked me as she opened the door, with Jesse closely behind me. "Sweetie-"  
"I'm fine." I said, muffled against the floor which was starting to hurt my head that I'm sure was now, or going to be soon, bruised. "Can you just get me some aspirin or something?" I asked her as I rolled over on to my back and tried to smile at them.

Mom and Jesse exchanged worried glances before she said, "Sure, honey." I saw her look at the pillow that was clutched tightly in my hand. She looked back up at me with an expressionless face. I smiled and said, "I was taking a nap. I fell of the bed. Aside from my head, I'm fine."

She looked at Jesse, who just shook his head and shrugged. I smiled sweetly up at her as she left the room. "What the hell did you do?" He asked me when she was gone. He lifted me up off the ground and said, "You're Susannah. There's no telling what you did."

I smiled and said, "Come on, Jess. You lived with me for a year you should- "I broke off and stared at the image before me.  
"OH MY GOSH! I LOOK LIKE A FREAKIN' NINJA TURTLE!" I gapped at my greenish bruise in the mirror.  
Jesse walked up behind me and said, "You can hardly see it, Raphael."  
I turned around and punched him in the arm as I hissed, "Some boyfriend you turned out to be."

"Susannah...querida. Seriously, stop. Would you stop poking it?"  
He pulled my hand away from it. "That's not going to make it look any better."  
"JESSE!" I said, frantically. "Look at it! LOOK!"  
"I'm looking!" He said, pulling my other hand away from it. I had this weird poking addiction...like if I poked it enough, it would vanish. "Susannah, it really doesn't look that bad."

I sat down on my bed. Jesse was watching me carefully as if he thought I was about to spaz out or something.  
"Can you just hand me my makeup bag over there, please?" He reluctantly took his gaze off of me as he went over to my window seat and took the hot pink bag off of it. He walked back over to me and handed it to me slowly.

"I'm not going to bite your hand off you know." I said, grumpily as I took it from him. "Oh, gross. It's making me want to puke."  
"What? Looking at it?" Jesse asked me, unaware of what he just said. Gosh...wasn't he supposed to be the smart one?

When I looked up at him, hurt, he said, "Not that you can see it. You look gorgeous, querida. Bruise and all."  
He said in that voice he knew made me go all squishy. The voice that , even when I wanted to kill him, made me forget I was mad at him.  
"Nice try, Cadaver Breath. That ain't going to work this time." I said, slyly.  
"Oh, but I can try and make it work." He said in that same silky voice as he leaned in to kiss me.

But of course my mom chose that time to walk in with the aspirin and ice pack.

"Baby, what did you do?" She asked me, pushing back my bangs and looking at it. Gosh, talk about making a girl self-conscious.  
First my boyfriend, now my mom. I pushed her hand away and said, "Does it look bad?"  
My mom looked behind me to let me know that Jesse was probably mouthing something to her. She smiled and said in that fake voice she always uses when my teachers or someone from like the Mission was calling, "No, hun. Of course not."

I groaned and fell back on the bed all dramatically. My pillow that read 'Drama Queen' was right beside me. With another dramatic sigh, I tossed the pillow across the room. "Sweetheart, do you need something else? Like your-" She lowered her voice down to a whisper as she said this, "-monthly medicine?"

"Oh. My. Gosh." I said, slowly. "Oh. My. Gosh. You did not just ask me that." I said, on the verge of tears.  
Wow. Maybe I was in need of some serious Midol.

I looked over at Jesse who was biting his lip to keep from laughing. That just P'ed me of more.  
"Hector!"  
"Suze!"  
"Mom!"  
"Susannah Elizabeth!" Ah, the full name. I looked up at her and said, "What?"

She sighed and said, "Sweetie, you can't see it." I could see Jesse mouth something out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked over at him, he stopped suddenly and smiled.  
I groaned and walked over to my makeup table and started covering up my freakish mutation that was on my forehead. I glared at the smiling Jesse through my mirror as my mom left the room.  
Great, now I've got a mountain on my head...five minutes before I'm going to the graduation party down at the beach.

This is just swell.

**♥♥♥♥♥**

"Congratulations Class of 2007!" Came the DJ's voice. That was all accompanied by loud screams. Of course, I wasn't screaming because I was too damn busy being worried about my mutation.

"Suze, you can't see it." Josie said as she walked up with her brother. I knew Jesse told her to say that.  
"What? Are you blind? Of course you can I mean...you look gorgeous." Cee stuffed a piece of cake in her mouth as Paul gapped at her like she had just stuffed a live squid in her mouth. I don't know if he was gapping at her because she just stuffed a piece of cake in her mouth, which I knew was to keep from saying anything else that was brutally honest, or the fact that she just was brutally honest.

That was the thing about Cee. She was always the honest one while Josie told you exactly what you wanted to hear.  
I guess both of those qualities were good in their own ways and times.

I sighed and said, "Thanks." I darted the sarcastic remark at Cee who was smiling at me. Paul was still staring at her with this weird look on his face. She noticed that and said, "What? _WHAT_!? What did I do?"

Paul just shook his head. Now it was Cee's turn to stare at him.

I sighed again and looked at my reflection in the water. The ripples and waves only made it look bigger. "Oh, gosh!" I said, on the verge of tears again...I'm starting to think that I should have taken the Midol right about now.

Another minute passed as I looked at my reflection. Jesse's arm went around my waist as he whispered, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Which only meant one thing...he was going to break up with me.  
When I mentioned that all he did was smile, and then I said, "Does this have to do with the bruise? 'Cause if it does, that's really stupid because I'm sure that the bruise'll be gone in like a week. I can't believe you would do something like this I mean it's dumb and-"

I was interrupted my his lip. Jesse usually does that to shut me up when I'm on a babbling spree. My arms somehow found their way around Jesse's neck...but true to himself, he took them and put them back down at my sides. This surprised me because he didn't stop kissing me. He only started playing with my finger...I thought he was giving it a massage or something, but you know, that would have been a little weird.

I gasped when I pulled back. 1) Because he had leaned against my head, causing my bruise to throb and 2) because I realized what he had just done. He smiled and said, "I know you're young but, you know, I just thought now was the right time to ask."

I was still gapping at him.

"Of course we'd wait a few years until you're older."

Still gapping.

"Susannah, say something."

What?  
_WHAT_?  
What's going on again? Oh, dog. I think that I've got short-term memory loss. How hard did I hit my head?  
"Ok, Susannah. Please, for me, say something." He had a really weird look on his face.  
I looked down and saw a gorgeous diamond on my hand. Oh, how pretty. Jesse got me a graduation present. Hey, it's on my left hand.

Hey. HEY!  
Wait a minute, what's going on here? Did he just...I am...Are we...

**OH. **

MY.

DOG.

At that moment, all the thoughts of the trial...and me graduating and everything just seemed to drift out of my head...not that there was anything in my head to begin with as you already saw.

"Jesse." Whose voice is that...oh, duh. "I-" He waited for an answer. But he didn't get one...

"Susannah? Querida? Can you hear me?"

"Is that you Johnny?"

I heard a laugh when I asked that. I opened my eyes to see that I was in a very familiar place. The back of an ambulance. I groaned as I tried to sit up, but Jesse and the paramedic gently pushed me back down. "Oh, dog." I said, under my breath. "What just happened?"

"You just totally died!" Paul said in an amused voice. Cee smacked his arm and said, "Hun, are you ok?" I nodded and said, "Yeah..."  
No, no I wasn't.

How long have I been out? OH MY GOSH! I could be like that girl in that Lifetime movie where she was in a coma for like 15 years or something...OH MY GOSH! I could be like...old!

When that heart rate thing started beeping, the paramedic said, "Miss, you're going to have to calm down."

Yeah, dude. That's not gonna happen anytime soon! I mean, I can't calm down when I could have been out for like 20 years and my boyfriend just asked me to marry him and...

My boyfriend? Just asked me to marry him?

Oh, yeah...  
I looked up at Jesse who looked pretty shocked and worried. I smiled and said, "About your question..." He looked up at me when I said that. He unfolded his arms and walked closer to me as I said, "I have an answer."

He smiled, though he still looked worried, and asked, "And that answer would be?"

"Yes."

* * *

**Not really a cliffie...but I thought it was a cute little ending.  
Suze needs happiness before the murder trial starts up.  
Read and Review!  
Love ya'll!  
XOXO  
-SASTMJ-**

**And that song is Graduation (Friends Forever) from that chick Vitamin C that kind of faded out when the  
NSync craze ended. But it kinda sorta fit.**


	2. Him

**WOOOOT! My English Movie is FINISHED!  
And there's only two full weeks of school left!  
And I'll be 15 in a month!  
And I'm getting my permit!  
And SUMMER"S ALMOST HERE!!!! **

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

**Ok, sorry. Back on subject. So...  
We never had a subject** ☺☺

**Nevermind then.  
****Well, ON WITH THE SHOW, MI JESSENESS AMIGAS!  
MWAH!  
Hugs and kisses, chicas!  
-Autumn-**

* * *

**_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Toc. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Toc. Tick. Tock. Tick._**

Yeah. that only gets old about the gazillonth time. Jez.  
"-and if a question gets too hard or uncomfortable I want you to say so and not feel pressured to answer it, ok?"

I looked away from the clock and back up into those piercing eyes and said, "Yes, Mr. Slater."  
He smiled a reassuring smile and said, "See, Susie? We're going to do good. We'll win and get that no good de Silva away from you."

If he wasn't talking about Ricky, I would have thought I was talking to Paul. Paul's dad is my lawyer. Heh, I know. Go figure, right?  
I twirled around a pencil that was on his desk as he said, "Now, how have you been coping? Paul said that you won't talk to anyone."

"I'm fine." I whispered. He looked down at me with an expression Paul uses on me daily when he knows I'm lying. "As fine as someone who's grandmother has been murdered can be, of course."

"I know you've been through a lot, sweetheart." As creepy as I used to think this guy was, that wasn't at all creepy and/or perverted. It was actually kind of (shocker) comforting. He put a hand on my shoulder and said, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning?"

I sighed and said, "I don't have a choice, do I?" He laughed as I made my way out of the office. I could hear rustling and whispering outside the door while we were talking. Dog knows how many of them were out there.

But, I never did find out, since the next think I knew was a big flash right before my eyes.  
"Miss Simon!"

"Susannah! Over here!"

"Is it true that-"

"Damn it! Give the girl some breating room!" Officer Eric Christensen said rudely, pushing the reporters away. He was only 5 years older than me which was kind of weird for some reason, but I don't know why.

I gave out a little yelp as a microphone was shoved into my face. "Susannah, what will you be wearing to the trial tomorrow?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Eric yelled. "She's going to a murder trial, not Fashion Week! Come on, Suze." He said, grabbing my arm, and keeping me firmly beside him. After we pushed our way through the sea of photographers, we quickly got into his car.

"These people just don't give up, do they?" Eric asked with a non-humorous laugh as he pulled out of the parking lot, leaving a dozen photographers/reporters heartbroken and cursing, standing in the parking lot. He glanced over at me and said, "What's wrong, Curly-Q?"

I sighed as I leaned back into the passenger seat and said, "Nothing."

"Suze, seriously. What's wrong?" He asked, changing the radio station. He was different than I thought he would be. I mean, because he was a police officer, I just assumed he'd be all uptight and stuff. But he wasn't. He was a real laid-back 24 year old guy. A hot British...hottie...oh, that accent...

Um...

Yeah, Suze. You're ENGAGED.

Oh, snap. No one knows that.

I guess I should tell someone...

"Liar." He said in a teasing voice. "What's wrong?" He pushed a piece of his short sandy blonde hair away from his hazel eyes and looked back over at me.  
Hey? Aren't you a police officer? Shouldn't you like keep your eyes on the road. Or at least stop at red lights. I mean, you'll get pulled over.

Can a cop get pulled over? Who's pulls cops over? Themselves?

"Gosh, Eric. You're getting as bad as Jesse." I said, with a groan. He smiled at me with those pearly whites and said in that completely gorgeous accented voice that gives Jude Law a run for his money, "Well, someone has to keep an eye on you, Curly-Q."

Good Eric. Stopping at a red light! He smiled at me and added, "Unlike Antonio Banderas, I just happened to be getting paid for it."  
I couldn't help but laugh when he said that. He was so adorable. I mean...in a puppy dog kind of way.

What?

WHAT?

Do you see me sucking face with the guy? Nope. No wrong done in like looking at a total British Babe. I mean, I know I have my own Adonis, but I can still look. There's no law that says that I can't, right?

Right?

Oh, come on people. That silence is very reassuring...

Wait, what did you just say? No, not you! _YOU_! Oh really? Well what the helleck do you know?

"You hungry?" He asked after a minute of silence.  
"Not really." I muttered.

"Come on, Curly. With the appetite you've been having lately, I would think that you're becoming anorexic."  
"Gosh, just go to like McDonalds or something." I said, punching his arm and leaning my seat back.

"No distracting the driver. I can write you up for that." He said in a very 'police-y' voice. I smiled at him and said, "Oh. But who will write you up for not stopping at red lights and not looking at the road?"

"Touche." He said, smiling, as he pulled into the drive-thru. "What do you want?"

**۞SUMMER۞**

"That you, Susie-Q?" My mom asked when I walked through the door. I laid my milkshake on the coffee table and said, "Yeah." As I kicked off my ballet flats and collapsed on to the couch. My mom walked in, and I opened my eyes to see her standing in the door.

"How did it go, sweetheart?" She asked me, sitting down beside me. I picked up my chocolate milkshake and said, "Good."  
She didn't look convinced, but said, "Maybe you should go see CeeCee or someone tonight. I mean, you haven't been acting yourself lately, baby." She put her hand on my forehead as if she was seeing if I had a fever or something.

"Nah, she's going out with Paul tonight." I said with a sigh.  
"Well, what about Jesse?"

"He's got finals coming up. Although-" I said sitting up. A little ligh bulb went off in my head. "-I could go over and-"  
"Don't you dare go over and distract that boy, Susannah." Mom said in a stern voice. "You want to marry a doctor."

I smirked and laid back down, "Yeah, Mom. Don't worry about Jesse. You just want me to marry a doctor." A hot doctor.  
She smiled and said, "Yes. By the time you two get married, he'll be a doctor. Finished school, or close to it."

Or he could be in his third year when we get married...cough cough. You know, since my engagement ring is kinda in my pocket...so...how was your day?

Smooth, Suze. Real nice.

"I think I'm just going to go on upstairs and lay down for a while. My head hurts."

"Suze! I knew I should have taken you to the doctor for that bruise." Mom said, panicing. "Look at it! You can still see it!"  
I smiled sarcastically, picking up my milkshake and said, "Thanks, Mom." I kissed her cheek and bounced up the stairs.

"Suze!"

I looked back down the stairs at my mom and said, "Debbie's baby shower's next week."  
Wow. Is it time for that already?

"Yeah, ok. So what am I suppossed to do about it?"

"Suze!"

"Sorry." I said, smiling. "What day?"  
"Saturday, I believe." She said, thinking.

"Mom! That's when Jesse and me-"

"Susannah!"

"Fine, whatever. Let's go have fun at the baby shower!" I said, twirling my finger in the air as I walked into my room and muttered, "When I could be making out with my fiancee."

Fiancee.

FIANCEE!

Even though I love Jesse, why am I having second thoughts?  
OH  
MY  
DOG.

I just said I'm having second thoughts about marrying Jesse.

NO!

I LOVE HIM!  
I WANT TO MARRY HIM! And then on our honeymoon we'll-

...do that...

Holy freakin' catfish.

THAT.

As in _that_ that?

It?

As in _it_ it!?

As in...

...finally?

Damn.

I mean, I always was so mad at Jesse for quiting to early, but now that that is going to be a possiblitly...  
I want to.  
But am I ready?  
Yes. I love him.

_Just because you love him, it doesn't mean you're ready._

I sat down on my computer screen and stared at it. Just as I suspected, someone IM'ed me.

**Officer007: Bored huh?**

**Senorita-deSilva: Is it unusual to be on a daily talking basis with your clients?**

**Officer007: No. But then again, they're not all you.**

**Senorita-deSilva: True, true.**

**DrD: Where have you been?**

Just the person I didn't want to talk to right now.

**Senorita-deSilva: Remember? I had a meeting with Mr Slater today.**

**DrD: Oh, yeah. How'd it go?**

**Senorita-deSilva: Shouldn't you be studying?**

**DrD: No. I finished.**

**Senorita-deSilva: Meaning you got bored.**

**DrD: Pretty much.**

**Officer007: Are you sure you're ok, Curly?**

**DrD: Querida, are you sure you're ok? I mean, when I talked to you earlier, it didn't sound like you were. Are you ok?**

OH

MY

GOSH

Why? WHY? Now there's not one of them...There's two of them!

**Senorita-deSilva: Hey, guys listen. I have a major headache, so I'll just see you two in the morning, ok?**

**DrD: Guys? Who are you talking to?**

**_Senorita-deSilva signed off at 8:37 pm_ **

**DrD: Susannah?**

See? This is Jesse we're talking about. He will keep typing my name in until I get so tired of hearing my IM alert go off (which is NSYNC saying "Dirty Pop"...yea, don't ask) I either write back or...

...click my away message.

**Don't cha wish that you had Jesse's girl? Where can you find a girl like me?**

**DrD: SUSANNAH! I know you're there!**

_DrD signed off at 8:39 pm_

**Officer007: Hello? Suze? Whatever.**

_Officer007 signed off at 8:39 pm_

**۞SUMMER۞**

"You're going to burn a hole in the floor." Came a teasing voice from behind me. I felt arms go around me as someone planted a kiss on my cheek. "How are you, Susie-Q?"

"Horrible." I said, leaning against the wall of the courthouse, careful not to ruin my dress I was wearing. I looked down at my now short fingernails. So much for that New Year's resolution, huh? A few seconds later, the door opened again, and Jesse walked through the door straigtening his tie. We weren't allowed to ride in the same car for some reason.

"Hey." He said, walking over to me and kissing me. Paul pouted and said, "Aw, Jesse! What about me? Do I get one?"  
Jesse looked down at Paul with a murderous glare and said, "Slater, if we weren't in a courthouse-"

"Ok, I'll meet you at a hotel later." Paul said with a smile. He smiled bigger when a deep shade of red entered Jesse's face.  
Ouch, Jesse's mad.

Jesse rolled his eyes and looked back down at me, "How are you?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I sighed, leaning back against the creme colored wall. He smiled sadly and said, "Because we care about you. Susannah-" He broke off when I raised my left hand and pushed my bangs back. Good job Suze. When he made a face, I raised my right hand, that had the ring on it, and when Paul was out of view (since he was now flirting with Cee...in a COURTHOUSE) I said to him, "I'm just waiting. I'm not too sure how my mom's going to react. And I didn't think it would be the right time to tell her."

He nodded, understandably and said, "I understand, querida." He looked at me for a minute and then said, "I'm just worried about you is all."  
I tried to smile, but when you have been trying so hard all morning not to cry, it's hard to do the complete opposite.

"Susannah." He pulled me into his arms as a tear rolled down my cheek. He stroked my hair and said, "You don't have to do this."  
"I know." I said, pulling back just a little. "But I want to."

He smiled and wiped away my tear as he said, "Typical Susannah."  
"Suze, they're ready for you." Came a thick British accent. I looked past Jesse to see Eric standing behind him, walking out the door.

"Before you even open your mouth, I'm fine. I swear." I said with a sigh, looking at both of them as Eric came to stand beside Jesse. He closed his mouth, and looked to Jesse. Giving him a pat on the back he said, "Hey, Jesse."

Jesse smiled and said, "Hey, Eric."

Something was weird about this.  
I don't know what, but something was weird about this.

I looked at the courtroom door and took a deep breath. With the two strongest (and most overly protective) guys I know on either side of me, I walked in to what I was anticipating to be hell on earth.

But I quickly realized it wasn't hell on earth. Know why? Satan wasn't there yet.  
But as I took my seat between Mr. Slater and Jesse (with Eric behind me), he eventually walked in. Satan, I mean.

"Oh my gosh." I said under my breath. Jesse grabbed my hand as Ricardo made his way through the courtroom. Jesse and his gazes locked for the weirdest and most tense second, and then Ricardo's gaze locked on me.

My heart seemed to stop beating as he gave me an icy cold grin.

Jesse squeezed my hand as I buried my head on his shoulder.

We heard a loud cough, and we all rised for the judge to walk in. When he was seated, I knew it was time.

**۞SUMMER۞**

"Raise you right hand." I did so. "Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. So help you God?" It's dog, dude. Don't curse-  
Oh, he was serious.

Well, then.

"I do."

The man nodded and I was left sitting on the stand. Jesse gave me a reassuring smile. So did Eric.  
What the heleck is going on here?

"Miss Simon." Ricardo's lawyer said to me slyly as he strolled, no lie, strolled up to the stand. This guy must be gay. I know, I know. Don't judge, lest you be judged. Sorry. But he's... "Let me start off by asking you this question. Think carefully, we wouldn't want you accussing the wrong man now."

I gulped and took my gaze off of Jesse who's, when the man said that to me, his face changed. "Miss Simon, who killed your grandmother."

The courtroom was silent for what seemed to be like years. You could hear a pin drop in China.  
A tear rolled down my cheek. I could feel everyone's gaze on me.

"Miss Simon?"

I looked back up. Past him, Jesse, Josie, Cee, Paul, Eric and my whole family were looking on at me. Waiting, like everyone else, for my reply. Why wasn't I speaking? Why? I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn't move my lips. I looked over at Jesse, as if he could say it for me. He looked miserable. He hated seeing me like this, knowing he couldn't do anything about it. I knew it was killing him.

"Miss Simon, do you want to answer the question?" I looked back into that man's black eyes as he said, "Who killed your grandmother?"  
Oh please, God. Please let my tongue and lips move to form the words I oh so dearly want to speak.

Tears were rolling freely down my cheeks as I looked at Ricardo, finding courage somewhere, to look into his eyes.  
I took a deep breath and spoke but one word, "Him."

**۞END CHAPTER۞**

**Yeah. Not much of a cliffie, but it's time for school.  
So, I'll update this weekend cuz it's FRIDAY!!!!  
Thank Dog it's Friday!  
YAY!  
Adios Amigos!  
XOXOXO  
-SASTMJ**


	3. No Further Questioning

**Hola! No, I have no died and/or fallen of the face of the earth.  
I've just been super busy with school! But, guess what? This is my last full week before summer!  
Next week are finals, and then...I AM OUT FOR THE SUMMMER! **

Alleluia!

Anyways, considering I have no homework or projects due tomorrow and my drama movie is finally out of the way,  
I decided to give ya'll an update!  
Hope ya like!

Love,  
-Autumn-

**

* * *

**

"Yes, that's what I thought you would say." Ricky's lawyer said, smiling an evil Disney-villian worthy smile.  
Um, if that's what you thought I was going to say, then why did you ask me, bozo? Gah.

After more hours of long interragations, my final questions came. I silently muttered a prayer of thanks to God that this was all over with. But, that was before Mr. Radioactive Stick Up My Butt said this, "Miss Simon, hear-" He looked down at a bunch of paper work, "-here it tells me something you've probably kept a secret from a lot of people."

Damn it.

He read this, and then that Chesire grin came back on his face as he said, "It says here that you had a little accident when you were 13."  
I looked down, knowing what was coming, and knowing that I couldn't prevent him from saying this.

Yeah, I could jump over the stand and strangle him, but then I'd be on my way to my own murder trial.

But this secret, I had kept from everyone. Except my mom, and family back in New York. Jesse didn't even know this.  
"On December 21, 2003 you were in a car accident. Trama wounds to your head, it says..." He looked up at me, leaning on the stands and said, "You were in a coma for 10 months."

I caught Jesse's eye as the evil little man said this. Jesse's face looked shocked and hurt. What he was hurting for, I don't know.  
"The doctors said that you were never to wake up again, and in the slightest chance that you did, you'd have severe brain damage and short term memory loss. Is that correct?"

I held back my tears, (and temptations to smash this guys head into the stands) as I said in a tone just above a whisper, "Yes."  
He put his hand over his ear, teasingly, and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Simon. What was that?"

"Yes."

"That's what I thought." He said with a laugh. "You woke up Friday, October 13, 2004. Everything looked fine, but...it says here, that you went in to therapy and conseling numerous times for- wait, do you want to tell us why?"

I started crying. Not loud, or anything. But tears started streaming dowm my face. He smiled again as he said, "Well, then. I guess I will."  
He cleared his throat and turned to the audience and jury. "Therpy and counsling sessions for depression-" He said each word painfully slow. "-suicide attempts-" I couldn't bear to look at Jesse's face as he said that. "-and, it says, claiming you could see the dead. Your mother took you to the doctor and it was decided that you had a mild case of brain damage."

"you were diagnosed with false memory sendrome. For all of you who do not know, false memory sendrome is a disorder when the sufferer makes up highly imaginable and false memories to make up for a tramatic experience that happened when they were a child."  
He leaned down and looked me in the eye. "You make yourself think things happen that really don't, Miss Simon."

I wiped my eyes as he said, "No further questioning."  
He strolled on back to his chair beside Ricky. He whispered something in his ear, and Ricky smiled as he looked up at me and winked.  
What the hell just happened here?

Oh, yeah, Suze. You were completely destroyed in front of everyone. Not to mention that this will be in the National Enquierer tomorrow morning, front page.

The judge looked down at me, almost sadly, then he took that little hammer thingy, clacked it against his desk and said, "That is all for today. Court resumes tomorrow morning at 9:30." He looked down at me and whispered, "Are you alright, Miss Simon?"

I wiped my eyes as I got out of that stupid hell box and said, "Yes, sir."

I walked through the crowd of people to my seat, and grabbed my purse. Jesse was sitting in the chair, motionless, staring off into space as if he was still in shock. When he saw me, he turned, but didn't say anything. Tears formed in my eyes as I quickly turned on my heels and ran out of there, ignoring his pleas, "Susannah!" I turned around briefly to see him pushing his way thru the crowd, but that only made me run faster.

_"Mom, let me change the station." I said, reaching over her to flip that station. She smiled at me and said, "Sweetie, I hope you had fun."  
We had just taken a mother/daughter trip to the beach. It was cold in New York, so as a little Christmas present, we went away from it all._

_Stress for her, and in my case, ghosts. But of course someone had to drown at the beach when I was there.  
Snow was walling all around us as she drove down that narrow street. I was humming along to the song as I looked out the windshield._

_"Mom...MOM LOOK OUT!" I yelled when I saw the man walk out in front of us. She swirved and missed the guy, but sent us in to the wall. I remember feeling my seat belt snap, and then the sensation as if I was flying._

_My head was hurting me as I laid on the ground, snow falling around me. I couldn't move, couldn't talk. All I remember is laying there, feeling as if I was about to die. "Susie-Q." I heard my dad's voice, "You got to hang in there, princess."_

_I opened my eyes once to see him glowing, standing over me. But then I closed my eyes._

_That would be the last time I would open my eyes for almost a year._

I sobbed as I sand to the floor. I leaned up against the closed stall door and sobbed. I didn't care. No one was in the bathroom. Well, someone was washing their hands, but you know.

You'd think they would have checked to see if I was ok. I mean, I was sitting on the bathroom floor, in a closed stall, crying my little green eyes out. I heard the door open, thinking that hand washer left, but I only heard her scream and say, "You're a man!"

"Congratulations." Came a voice I recognized all too well. I heard the woman mutter something as she walked out. Then I heard the door lock. We were in silence as I stared at the toilet. Pretty picture, I know. Lovely scenery, I'm telling ya.

"Susannah?" He said a minute later, "Querida, why didn't you tell me?" His voice was so soft and gentle. But I could also tell that it was filled with hurt. Probably considering we were suppossed to tell each other everything. And I didn't.

I felt the stall door move, so I looked underneath the door to see Jesse sitting exactly like I was on the other side. Only, he didn't have to stare at a toilet. "I just didn't want to relive it..." I started crying again.

"You tried to kill yourself, Susannah." He said in a whisper as if he was just thinking out loud, and not really talking to me. Not once, twice.  
I started crying more, he sighed and said, "Querida, open the door. I can't stand you crying." I reached up and unlatched the door. A minute later, I was in his arms, crying.

"My mom didn't talk to me. She was scared that I was...I don't know..." I cried on his arm. "It didn't work the first time, it only made me pass out. But the second time it sent me into the hospital. That one should have killed me."

"Damn it, Susannah." He said with a sigh as he rested his head on mine, bringing me closer as we sat on the floor. He kissed the top of my head as I said, "I just didn't think I had a choice! No one talked to me. Everyone thought I was a fruitloop. They thought I was insane. And getting caught by the police didn't help. My mom walked in on me performing an exorcism. I was sent to this institute thing."

I could tell his heart was breaking with every word that I said. "And then, we moved out here, thinking I would get a better start. And I guess, while I'm coming clean I might as well say this, all those times that I slept for days at a time-"

"-_Maldición." _He muttered, leaning back against the stall. I didn't dare look into his eyes. I was scared to know what he was thinking at this time.  
"Jesse, I'm lying about Ricky. No body probably believes me anymore, but I'm not lying." I said, raising up, going against all odds and looked him in the eyes.

He smiled and pushed a wet, tear-soaked curl back and said, "You've never given me any reason to doubt you, mi amor." He pulled me back into his arms and said, "I believe you."

"I love you, Jesse."

He sighed and said, "I know. I love you too, querida."

**۞Summer۞**

"False memory syndrome is the term for the hypothesis describing a state of mind wherein sufferers have a high number of highly vivid but false memories, often of abusive or tramatic events during their childhood. When studying this, many of our patients confessed to completely made up stories."

Ricky's laywer, whom I shall now call Voldemort, nodded and smiled at the doctor who was now on the stands. He smiled and said, "So, it is highly possible that Miss Simon over here-" He glared at me. Jesse took my hand and squeezed it. "-is completely making this up?"

The doctor nodded and said, "Yes. Not making it up, exactly, but twisting the story around."

"How so, Dr. Lawson?" Voldemort hissed with extreme pride in himself.

The old man adjusted his glasses and said, "Well, take this example. A young boy looking into a scary alley. As an adult, he remembers that valley having a dead body. Where really, it was just a homeless man sleeping. We like to call this inaccurate reconstruction. Where she's not making the story up completely, just twisting it to make is something it's not."

"No further questioning."

Dodging the press wasn't an easy thing. I smiled at Jesse as he got into the car. He smiled back, and waved. And then with Paul, he disappeared into the car.

I got into the passenger seat of Eric's car. Jesse and I still weren't allowed to ride together after court.  
"You ok, Curly?" Came that British accent from my left. I nodded and said, "Yeah. I'm fine."

When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom, plopped down on my bed, and closed my eyes.  
_"Susannnah1 Baby, please don't do this! Please!" My mom's worried face was seen just before I slammed the door and opened the medicine cabinet. She was screaming as I opened the cabinet and took out the bottle._

I opened my eyes quickly, and played with the heart locked my grandma had given me. I tucked it back under my dress and looked over at the diary that I still couldn't unlock.

For some reason, a tear rolled down my cheek as I looked over at the picture of me and Jesse at the Winter Formal. I slid the ring off of my right hand and placed it on my left. Then, picture in hand, I fell fast asleep.

**۞Summer۞**

"Mr. de Silva, explain your relation with my client."

"He's my cousin." Was Jesse's reply. He said in a 'don't you even mess with me' kind of voice. Eric laughed beside me as he looked on at Jesse with amuesment. Voldemort must have realized that he wasn't going to be able to break Jesse down like he did me, because he stared at him in silence, then turned away and said, "A little birdy flew in and told me about you and Miss Simon. Congratulations."

Oh no he didn't.

"How long have you been with Miss Simon?" When Voldemort said that, I looked down and noticed that my ring was still on my left. I switched it fast and looked back up, waiting for Jesse's reply.

"Three years." Jesse replied cooly.

"Did she ever show any signs of depression?"

"No."

"Anything to make you believe that she wasn't in a healty mental state?" Voldemort asked, still keeping his distance from Jesse. I saw Ricardo glare at Jesse, before turning his eye cold glare on me. I turned back to look at Jesse.

"Nothing at all."

"Are you lying to me, Mr. de Silva?" Voldemort asked Jesse, walking back to the stands and looking at me intently.  
Jesse didn't move, or anything, but replied in that same calm voice, "I swore to God I wouldn't, so doesn't that answer your question?"

Paul and Eric looked at each other and laughed. I sighed out of relief that Jesse was doing a whole lot better than I was. Mine and Jesse's gazes locked for a minute, before Voldemort started up again, "You do know that if you're found lying in the court of law you could be in trouble?"

"I know that."

"Did she ever mention anything about a phycic?"

"Yes."

What?

WHAT?

"Explain that, please." Voldemort said in a cool voice as he smiled to the jury.  
"She went to one when she was in middle school. At a carnival." Jesse said, crossing his arms as if he was bored. Gosh, I love him so much.

"And what did the phycic say?" Voldmort asked him, slyly.

"That she was to have one true love to last a lifetime." Jesse replied with a smirk. Voldemort's face fell. If I wasn't so scared, I would have laughed at his face like Paul and Eric did. It was priceless. The look on Voldemort's face, I mean.

"And I would assume that this is you?" Voldemort asked in a bored and disappointed voice.  
Jesse smiled as he leaned back in his chair and said with an amused voice, "Well, I would hope that it isn't you."

A few people laughed, before Voldemort started pacing the floor again. "Did you know of your girlfriend's past?"  
"No."

"She never once spoke of it?"

"No."

"Her family didn't? No one said anything?"

"No."

"Yesturday was the first time you heard of this?"

"Yes."

"Now, didn't you find that weird?"

"Not really. I mean, if you went thru something as horrible and traumatic as she did, I highly doubt she's going to write an article and post it on the front of the New York Times." Jesse said, waiting patiently for his next question.

"Oh, my gosh." Paul said, smiling, as he shook his head, staring at Jesse.

"I understand that you were with her the night that she says my client tried to kill her? Did he try and kill you?"

"Yes."

"His own cousin?"

"Apparently so."

"What injuries did you receieve?"

"I had a broken arm, and busted my head on the left above my eye. And I was stabbed in the chest. I was hospitalized for about a month." Jesse said. I cringed at that. He was still wearing a bandaged around his chest now.

"What were you stabbed with?"

"I don't know. Excuse me if I didn't watch him stab me." Voldemort was really getting ticked off at him now. He started pacing again and said, "Your girlfriend?

"She was stabbed in her side."

"Did you see this happen?"

"No. I wasn't with her at the time."

Voldemort nodded as if he knew this and said, "Who was with her?"

"Paul?"

"Slater?"

"Yes."

Voldemort smiled at Jesse, then to the judge and said, "No further questioning." The judge nodded and said, "Court will resume Monday."  
After we were dismissed, I followed Eric out of the court room. We waited in the lobby for Jesse.

After hugging his sister, Jesse came up to me and hugged me too. He kissed the top of my head, but kept his arm around me when Eric laughed and said, "You are my new hero." Jesse laughed, but stopped when Ricardo walked out of the courtroom, Voldemort following closely behind him.

"There's something weird about that guy." Jesse said, his gaze following Ricky and Voldie. Eric looked shocked at Jesse and said, "I was just about to say the exact same thing."

There was kind of a weird silence as the two of them looked at each other. "What did I miss?" Paul asked me. I shrugged and said, "Let's just get out here, please." I tugged Jesse's arm, and we all walked out of the courthouse.

I closed my eyes as Eric drove away, and thought about what the next day would bring.

* * *

**Kinda twisted the story, didn't I?  
Hope you liked it!  
Review and you shall recieve, chicas!  
XOXOXO  
SASTMJ**


	4. News

**Hey guys! Ok, I'm gonna do my little thank yous that I did once before but I never did again for some weird reason..so...**

**crujido de coco** : Thankies! I'm glad you liked Jesse's questioning. It was probably one of my most favorite things I've written about him.

**Junaberry** : Aw! Huggles! Your review made me all fuzzy inside!

**What's with the super quick update, you may be asking. Well, my dears, it's almost summer!  
And I'm finally getting back into my old ways. You know, when I update more than once a month...  
So, hope you like!

* * *

**

"-you said that you had romantic involvements with Miss Simon?"

Jesse sighed at that, but waited patiently for the answer. "Not really."

"Explain."

Paul rolled his gorgeous blue eyes and said, "We really weren't together. She wasn't really my girlfriend."  
"Uh huh..." Voldemort looked down at his papers and said to Paul, "Mr. de Silva, Jesse I mean, did he ever do anything to Miss Simon while you were with her?" Paul's face looked slighly defensive as he said, "What do you mean?"

"Did he ever, I don't know, act abusive towards her?"

Paul laughed and said, "Yeah, if you consider watching her back and taking care of her abusive. Jesse would never hurt her. Ever."  
Voldemort looked slightly amused as he turned towards the audience and jury. I knew Jesse wanted to kill that man just about as much as I did at that moment. He was seriously starting to go to the point of no return.

No return as in ever.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Paul replied, cooly. "I'm positive."

Voldemort turned back to Paul and asked, "Why the sudden change? It says here that you and Mr. de Silva didn't get along. Why?"  
Paul rolled his eyes again and leaned back in his chair. He was trying to act like he wasn't scared, but he wasn't pulling it off nearly as good as Jesse had done the day before. "Because at that time I was in love with Suze. She was in love with Jesse though."

"And you didn't press it?"

"What's your problem? Of course not! I may love Suze, but she's in love with Jesse. I want her to be happy." And the fact that you've got a girlfriend now that you haven't stopped making out with since prom...that wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it?

"You wouldn't have done anything to her? As if to say, if you couldn't have her, no one could?"

"I just said I love her. What point would that have?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"So you wouldn't have just tried and killed her, and frame his cousin just to get even, would you?" Voldemort asked him as he paced the floor. The judge was watching his every move with lazy eyes as we all waited Paul's answer.

"I was injured to. I don't think I would have stabbed myself." Paul looked over at me and smiled reassuringly. I smiled back, but soon Voldie was at it again.

"She looked up to you, apparently. Did she ever talk about ghosts? Anything paranormal?"

"I don't think-"

"Mr. Slater, I don't think that you realize what the hell you're getting yourself into. You cannot protect her anymore!"

"No. She didn-"

"YOU"RE LYING TO ME! TELL ME THE DAMN TRUTH!" Voldemort slamming his hands on the stand as he glared into Paul's blue eyes. Paul looked taken back, but didn't answer.

"Objection! Your Honor, he can't yell like that to a witness. Especially not a minor." Mr. Slater said, standing up and looking firmly at the judge. The judge sighed, but said, "Objection overruled. Mr. Thompson, continue."

"No further questioning." He said, shaking his head, not even trying to hide his smirk as he walked past me. I closed my eyes and fell into Jesse's embrace.

**۞Summer۞**

_"Baby, please don't do this." I heard my mom's frantic screams as she tried to open the door. I opened the medicine cabinet but stopped when I swung the door opened and saw a familar face looking at me thru it with a curious face._

_"Susannah, what are you doing?"_

_I instantly dropped the pill bottle._

Jesse was tapping his foot nervously as Mr. Thompson aka Mr. I've-got- a- radiocactive- stick- up -my -butt- while- you're -down- there pulling- it -out-, go- ahead -and -kiss -it, wrapped up his questioning. Mr. Slater nodded to the judge and said, "My first will be...ah. Miss Simon? Would you please join me?"

I nodded slightly as I got out of my seat and walked over to the stands that had haunted my dreams for the past two nights and sat down in front of Mr. Slater.

He smiled reassuringly and winked at me before saying, "Before I question Miss Simon, might I point out to you the evidence that was at the scene of the crime? His knife in her side-" Jesse cringed as Mr Slater said that, the exact same way I had two days earlier when Jesse said he was stabbed in the chest, "-his blood on her, and he was at the crime scene. Excuse me if I find that more of a coincidence."

He turned to me and said, "Sweetheart, do you know of any reason that Mr. de Silva would want your grandmother dead?"  
I looked away for a moment, before saying, "Not really. It was something that happened in the past. I'm not sure what it was."

_False memory sendrome..._

"Explain to me the night of her death. You said that you saw him right after your mother informed you of her death?"

"Yes sir."

He turned to the audience and said, "Please explain."

"Well, after my mom told me, Jesse and I went on the roof to sit and talk about it-"

_"I know you do, querida." He said with a smile, remembering all of our past adventures. "Believe me, I know."  
I laid my head back on his chest and he whispered, "You just have to remember you're not alone anymore."_

_No, Jesse. We aren't._

_I looked off of the roof, and I swear to you my first reaction was Micheal since it was so ironic and all, but anyways...  
A car pulled up in our driveway._

_"What the heck?" I said, walking...erm, slidding down the roof.  
"Susannah..." Jesse said, worried. "Susann- Oh for goodness sakes. SUSANNAH!" I slid off almost, but he caught me and pulled me back. I leaned my head over the edge so I was looking directly down at the person._

_"That bastard." I mutterd.  
"Susannah!" Jesse said shocked, but when he saw who it was, he said, "Oh, nevermind. You can call him that."_

_"What the heck does he want?" I asked as Ricky walked to our door.  
Looking down futher...I saw he had on his jersey from the picture...number 21._

_I was going to scream, but Jesse (knowing me very well) put his hand over my mouth and pulled me back up.  
"He killed her! He had to!" I yelled._

"Why did you think that he killed her?"

"Because. He had been tormenting me and stalking me for a long time. It was too weird."  
"Uh huh. Records here said that your mother even filed for a restraining order." Mr. Slater spoke to me in such a fatherly tone. I smiled, but hid it (realizing that I was in a courtroom).

"Yes sir."

"You said that he tried to...kiss you on countless occasions?" Mr. Slater looked at me sternly. I nodded and said, "Yes, sir."  
"Your Honor, I would like to make it clear to everyone and the jury that Mr. de Silva over here was expelled from his old school when he was charged with rape and stalkery."

Stalkery? Is that even a word?

"Objection. Your Honor, that has nothing to do with the case." Voldemort said, standing up and staring up at the judge.  
"Overruled. Continue, Mr. Slater." He said with a nod towards the man I expected Paul to look just like in 20 something years. Not that that is a bad thing. Mr. Slater's pretty hot for 43 year old.

"Thank you, Your Honor." He pulled out a picture and said, "This was found at the crime scene. Los Santos written clearly on the cover of this bottle." He smiled and said, "On the bottle, as you can see written in bold black just at the bottom, in Spanish is read 'Immediate Heart Failure'. Wasn't that what Mrs. Smithson died from?"

He looked into the audience at my grandmother's doctor, who nodded.  
"Objection. Your Honor, isn't he suppossed to be questioning Miss Simon?"

"Overruled-"

"Bull! He is-"

"Mr. Thompson. If I hear another word from you I will have one of my fine gentlemen-" The judge nodded to the officers and continued- "-escort you out of the courthouse immediately. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Voldemort said, defeated as he sat back down beside Ricardo.  
"Please continue, Mr. Slater." The judge said with a nod.

"Thank you, Your Honor." He sent an ice cold glare towards Voldemort. "Miss Simon, what religion is your boyfriend, Jesse?"  
"He's Catholic." I replied.

"Were you aware that his family has had history of Satan worshiping?"

"Yes, I was."

"Who told you?"

"Jesse did."

"And who was the Satan worshiper?"

"Ricardo."

A small smile appeared on Mr. Slater's face as he walked around the courthouse, strolling confidently. "The Los Santos, or the Holy Ones, were Satan Worshipers. It seems as Jesse took the path of holiness, Ricardo chose the path of Satan. They believed in- Miss Simon, I'm sure you know. Would you like to tell us?"

"Quick and immediate deaths."

"As I sacrifice to-"

"Satan."

Mr. Slater smiled and said, "His fingerprints were found on the bottle as I'm sure most of you are aware. What more do you need?"  
"Objection-"

"Mr. Thompson, do I need you escorted out of the courthouse?" The judge said. "You are not needed at this time, and believe me, I won't miss you at all. Take your seat, or so help me, I will send you out. Continue questioning."

"Your Honor." Mr. Slater nodded politely. He walked over to me and said, "Miss Simon, sweetheart, would you like to tell us about the night of your attempted murder?"

"He wanted my grandmother's key."

"What did the key do?"

"Unlocked her diary."

Voldemort snorted at that, but dried up when one of the officers glared at him. "What was in the diary that Mr. de Silva wanted?"

"I'm not sure. I'm in possesion of it right now. But she did tell me that the check to her bank account was in it."

"Her fortune?"

"Yes, sir."

"Knowing that the de Silvas and Smithsons had bad blood, did you feel at all threatened by Mr. de Silva before he tried anything on you?"

"He just knew how to make you feel uncomfortable. Like he was always-" I started tearing up.  
Mr. Slater recognized this and said, "No further questioning."

_"In other news, Susannah Simon took the stands in a very emotional questioning today in the on-going murder trial for her late grandmother Mary-Elise Smithson. It was revealed earlier this week that the California beauty suffers from false memory sendrome. No word on if this will effect the out-come of the trial or not. The trial is set to come to a close at the end of this month, and right now, it's anyone's game. In other news, Orlando Bloom dished today that he is single! The Pirates of the Caribbean star-"_

Jesse went up and turned the TV off. He smiled sadly and said, "You know she's sad when Orlando Bloom can't get her attention."  
I didn't respond, so he said, "Querida-"

Paul shook his head as he woke up. He had been asleep in the waiting room. Yes, I said waiting room. My mom collapsed in the courtroom. No reason, apparently. Just did.

"Turn that back on." Paul jumped from the couch and looked excitedly at Jesse. Jesse on the other hand, looked very creeped out at Paul's sudden movement, and took a step back as Paul smiled. "Orlando's single?" Paul said, scrambling for the remote. Jesse and I shot a confused look at him. Paul looked back at us and said, "What? If he's single, that means Penelope Cruz is too."

"Oh." Jesse said, still not fully believing him. Paul rolled his eyes, and screamed, "DUDE! WE MISSED IT!"

"Sir, can you lower your voice, please?" The nurse said. "We've got patients and sick in here. We need it quiet."

"I'm friends with a doctor, lady. I'm not stupid." Paul said, in a snooty tone. Jesse sighed and sat back down. Paul, realizing Jesse was here beside him said, "You're a doctor."

Jesse just stared at him for a minute, slightly amused. "Why aren't you in there?" He motioned towards the ER.

"Paul?" Jesse said, in a tired tone as he rested his head on my shoulder. "We're in LA."  
"So?"

"I work in Carmel."

"So?"

Jesse lazily opened a chocolate eye and stared at Paul with a weird look. He closed it back and mumbled something about 'stupid' and 'Paul'.  
With Jesse's head still on my shoulder, I flipped through a magazine. "Wow, you're beside Britney Spears." Paul cooed, looking down at the magazine I was holding in my shaking hands.

I looked at him weird and he said, "What? That means you're famous. I mean, everyone has their eyes on Britney to see if she's wearing underwear or not."

"Not a good reason to be famous." I whispered, but apparently loud enough for Paul to hear me since he said in a completely different voice, "Susie-Q, I'm sorry."

I smiled and said, "I haven't heard that one in a while." He smiled and said, "You'll always be my Susie-Q."  
"And you'll always be the reason for my constant migranes." Jesse mumbled against my shoulder. I smiled as I tossed the magazine on the table, clearly not missing "Simon Says: 'I've Been Making This All Up'."

What losers write crap like this?

"Miss Simon?" I looked up to see a nurse motioning for me to follow her. She smiled at Jesse when he followed me and said, "Family only, sorry sir." He hugged me and made his way back to his chair.

"Miss Simon, is your father here?" I tried to smile as I corrected her, "Step-father, and no. My brother's girlfriend is nine months pregnant. He stayed back with them in Carmel."

She smiled again and said, "Well, it seems as if you'll soon be making another nursery." I must have looked confused, since I walked into Mom's room. She was smiling as she said, "Baby, you're going to have a little sister."

**۞Summer۞**

"Yeah. Yeah. Lance, I know." Jesse rolled his eyes as he helped my mom into the car. "Do you think I care? Hold on-" He handed me the phone as he said, "Here, Mrs. Ackerman."

"Hey, Suze." Came Lance's voice. Lance worked at the hospital with Jesse. I rolled my eyes, but said, "Hey, Lance." Jesse took the phone back and said, "Lance, just do it, ok? Thank you. No I did not break up with her, so shut up. Or I'll make you, that's what. Whatever. I'll see you in a month? Yes, it's going to take a month."

I turned to my mom and smiled. She smiled back and said, "Who would have known? I guess since I've been on that new diet. I didn't know...pregnant?"  
I laughed as I hugged her and said, "Mom, I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad, sweetie. But Jesse said that I'm going to have to go back to Carmel. He said it was too much stress on the baby. Will you be ok? Maybe I should stay here-"

I had been coming back and forth to LA to Carmel for a while now. I finally gave up and rented a hotel room here. As did Jesse, Cee, Paul and Eric. My mom was going home now, and Andy was coming up here with me.

"Mommy, no. Andy said he'll be up here soon. I'll be fine with Jesse. I promise." I said, meaning every word. I didn't want my mom and little sister (wow, that sounded weird) to be in harm.

"Shut up. I know! I told you I did. Just shut u- What? No...fine." Jesse looked at me and said, "Lance says bye." He looked back into space as he yelled, "She said bye. Now can I let you go? LANCE! Just get the damn room ready-" When he saw my mom's face, he smiled and said, "Sorry, Mrs. Ackerman."

"I understand, Jesse." She said, as I bit my lip to keep from laughing.  
"Smooth." Josie said as she got into the car. She took the seat behind us and said, "He never stops."

I looked at Jesse and said, "No, he doesn't."

"LANCE! Do what I said! Because I'm your boss and I'll fire you. Oh, I dare you to even try me. Whatever. I will see you in a month. Yes! Why? My fi- I mean, girlfriend's on a murder trial, that's why. Yes, I think I do need to be here. Look, I, unlike you, have a life so can I let you go? Well, sorry if I don't want to waste another moment of my life talking to you. Yeah. Bye."

And gentleman Jesse was back as he sat down and out on a smile for my mom as he said, "Sorry about that."  
"Fake." Josie hissed.

"Shut it." He said through gritted teeth, quietly so me and Joe were the only ones that heard him. "Your room's all set for you, Mrs. Ackerman."

"Thank you, Jesse. I just feel horrible leaving Susie all alone."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be here with her. " Jesse said, casually putting an arm around the back of my seat. As long as it took, his 18th century ways were slowly going away. Thanks to me of course. Josie looked down at my hand and screamed.

"What?" I asked, but then I saw her gaze. Damn. I putt my hand over her mouth and said, "Be quiet." Jesse took the hand that once had been on my shoulder and poked her hard in the shoulder. My mom looked back at us from the passenger seat as Eric drove and said, "What's wrong, dear?"

"Oh, nothing Mrs. A." Joe said, smiling at her. "I'm totally fine." Mom smiled and looked back at the road.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Joey hissed in my ear.  
"Because,_ stupido_, it was suppossed to be a secret." Her big brother hissed back at her. "That's why no one knew!"

Joe made a face at Jesse, who made one right back at her.  
As they argued back and forth, I closed my eyes. I could have sworn that as I did so, I could hear Ricardo's evil laugh ringing through my ears.

**_Susannah Simon, you are a liar. Everything you've said, everything you've 'seen' is a lie. It's all your imagination! You're not healthy. YOU ARE A LIAR.._**

I opened my eyes when my phone started vibrating. I rolled my eyes, since Jesse and Joey were still arguing.  
"Hello?"

"Hello, Susannah!"

I smiled, "Hey, Father Dom! It's nice to hear from you-"

"Susannah, dear. I'm afraid I have bad news. It's Paul's grandfather."

* * *

**Wow. I'm just in a weird mood huh?  
I like this story...  
REVIEW AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU"LL RECIEVE!  
LOVE YA!  
XOXOXO  
-SASTMJ**


	5. Seventh Sense

**EEEK! I am so sorry! But look! It is my triumphic return! Gah, I am so sorry. I just wrapped up my pirates fic and am now starting the sequel, and I thought..why not go back to SASTMJ's first home.**

**So, guys. I'm baaaaack.**

**Autumn  
۞Summer۞**

"Stop glaring at me." Josie hissed at Jesse who still hadn't gotten over the whole My-Sister-Almost-Spilled-The-Beans thing. I, on the otherhand, was waiting for Father Dom to continue. "Susannah, he's went into a coma."

I nearly dropped the phone. Jesse and Josie apparently saw my face change, since they stopped yelling at each other and turned to look at me with a look of concern. I put my hand to my mouth, and asked, "Wha-..."

"They don't know." Father Dom said quietly. "But, Susannah. His soul was reconnected. And-" Father Dom's voice was shaking as he said, "I think that it's just his time to go. I haven't contacted Mr. Slater yet, because I personally thought that it would be best for you to do it." I nodded, realizing he couldn't see me, I said, "Yes, Father D. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Susannah." Father Dom said, in a sincere voice. "Goodbye."

"Bye." I whispered, before putting my phone back into my purse. All was silent in the car for a moment, before Jesse asked, "Querida-"  
I just looked up at him and shook my head. He pulled me into his arms, where I cried. Not loud or anything, silently. But remembering that Father Dom wanted me to tell Paul, I picked my phone up and dialed.

"Hey, Suze."

"Paul-" Jesse took my hand as I found strength to say. "-I have some bad news."

**۞Summer۞**

"Do to this very unfortunate event-" The judge started the next morning. I took Paul's hand. He tightened his fingers around mine as he looked up at me. I tried to smile, but feeling pretty crappy myself, I'm sure it came out completely hideous. "-the trial will temporarily come to a close since this affects so many people in this trial. Until this event comes to a close-"

A nice way of saying 'Until he dies'. "-Mr. de Silva will remain in custody at the Carmel city jail, where he will await the trial. That is all."

Jesse glanced over at Ricky who's face had falle at 'will remain in custody..' . Paul had been extremely quiet since I had told him the news the night before. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, saying, "It'll be alright. And whatever the outcome-" I pulled back and said with a smile, "-I'll be here for you."

He smiled and said, "Thanks, Susie-Q."

This all was bringing back memories of my own grandmother dying. I clsoed my eyes, and held back my tears, wanting to be stron for Paul. I apparently was making him feel some better since he was smiling now, but I still knew that he was hurting inside.

Yeah, I know I sound like a therapist. Gah, you don't have to remind me.

Jesse looked over at me as he began to undo his tie and said, "We'd better go before the reporters start forming outside." At that time, we were the only ones in the court room. Until, that is, the doors opened and Eric said, clearly overhearing Jesse, "Too late, Jesse."

Jesse groaned as he took his tie off and slung it over his shoulder. Eric looked down at Paul and said, "Hey, man. I'm really sorry." Paul tried to force a smile as he said, "Yeah, me too. But thanks."

Jesse nodded for me to follow him, so I did. He took his hand, and together, we both walked out of the courtroom as Eric yelled at the reporters telling them that they needed to move back. None of this was fair, I thought. It wasn't fair that my grandmother was killed. It wasn't fair that Paul's grandfather was dying. It wasn't fair that I was only 18 1/2 and already putting up with this crap that some people never do.

But I guess at that moment, it made me realize that life wasn't fair. I mean, it for instance wasn't fair that Sanjaya completely ruined American Idol, the once greatest show on TV, or that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore, or everytime you lick that friggin' Tootsie Pop you always lose count before you realize how many licks it took you, or the fact that Elizabeth and Will always end up together even though we all know that Miss Swann's a slut and Will deserves so much better.

Well, I guess that thing is Disney's fault. I mean, dudes, not everything has to be so freakin' cliche and happy. She could have gotten eaten by that Kraken, or Davy Jones could have-

What was I talking about before I started babbling about how much I hated Elizabeth?

Ah, fairness.

But I guess what I'm trying to say is, as much as everything pretty much sucked right now... I guess that I just had hope that everything was going to turn out and be ok like it always was. Jesse died young, that wasn't fair...but he met me. I got kicked out of honors English because of my insane teacher and I worked my butt off. That wasn't fair, but I ended up in regulars and made validictorian because I brote my English grade up the next year. Everything happens for a reason, even if sometimes it doesn't seem that way.

And now, was one of those moments where you just knew that Satan himself was sitting on his overstuffed couch in hell watching this on a big screen TV and laughing his little butt off. Well, laugh it up Flame Boy...I'm sure it'll only get worse.

"Miss Simon, what is your realationship with Mr. Slater?" One of the reporters asked me. The lady was quite strange looking. I mean, her hair had been sprayed so much that I was tempted to ask her if it was a space helmet. Someone nudged me. Unsure if it was Jesse trying to get me to move, or Paul trying to get me to answer, I asked, "Which one? The lawyer or his kid?"

And that caused them to start writing down in their handy dandy notebooks. Gah, I can see the headlines tomorrow...  
**_Simon Says: I Have Had A Relationship With My Lawyer And His Son! ._**

Well, little Miss Space Helmet, Simon says you better take that microphone out of my face before I shove it down your throat. How would you like that to be the headline during the sik o'clock news, huh?

Eric put an arm around my waist and led me out of the bzzing crowd while I was silently cursing myself for saying that. I mean, I know I can say stupid stuff...what am I saying? I always say stupid stuff! I just led them on to believe I've had an affair with my lawyer for Pete's Sake! What the heleck does that tell you? I AM NOT STABLE!

Oh, dog, Jesse. Just bring the needle and straight jacket to me now. I am not stable...I don't even think that I'm mentally healthy. I mean, who talks this freakin' much inside their own head? Answer that to me!!!

"Suze?" I was brought out of my thoughts, and looked into Eric's eyes. We were sitting in the police car, his police car. I was sitting in the frount seat, while Jesse and Paul were in the back where the criminals sit. Ha...

"Hmm?" Was my oh-so witty reply. I really am in need of brain help.

"Are you ok?" He said with a smirk as he turned out of the court room's parking lot. "You look like you're arguing with yourself." Jesse, knowing clear and well that I do argue with myself, made a snorting noise from behind me. I shot him and glare, then said sweetly to Eric, "No, I'm fine. Just a little stressed out is all."

"Yeah..." Eric said, fixing his eyes on the road once more. Honestly, this man was a cop! And he never kept his eyes on the road. I mean, I'm the world's suckiest driver and I keep my eyes on the road more that he does. "So, I've called and had them bring all of your things to the airport. They'll be there when we get there."

"Ok." I whispered quietly. I was freaked. I mean, for some reason (call it my sixth sense...erm...seventh) that when we got there, we were going to get some very bad news. But, on the bright side, Gina was coming into town. She wanted to after I told her that Mom was pregnant. She's staying here until the baby is born. But maybe even longer.

Apparently, she got into an arguement with her mom about Dereck. Remember him? The guy that was fasely accused of murder and she was in love with him? Well, they broke up. But things were still bad with her mom, so she's spending some time out her in Carmel to 'clear her head' as she put it.

And she wanted to be with me during the trial.

I sank lower in my seat, not being able to shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. I started shaking my leg as was my custom when I was nerouvs. I glanced out the window, hoping that that would calm my nerves. I sighed when it didn't and my stomach fell even more. I seriously felt sick. Gah, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was pregnant.

Ha.

Yeah...

But we all know better.

We arrived at the airport, and sure enough, there were more cops unloading our things. "Thanks, Sam." I said to one of them. He smiled at me and said, "Hey, no problem, Suze. Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, trying to hide my flushed face.

"Alright, love." Eric said, ignoring Jesse's face that he made like he always did when Eric called me love. What? He was British. I thought it was hot. Jesse calls me querida and that has different meanings than 'dearest one' or 'sweetheart'.

Oh.

My.

Dog.

What if it had a different meaning with me? What if I wasn't his dearest one? Duh, Suze. You're engaged to him. I'm pretty sure that you're his dearest one. Wait. I'm engaged? When did this happen?

Oh. Graduation.

Or, you know, it could be false memory sendrome. "Love? Suze?" I looked up into Eric's concerned eyes, and for a split second, thought I was looking into Jesse's. "Curly-Q, you serioulsy need to get some rest on this flight." He handed me my ticket, and motioned for us to follow him into the airport. I made to grab my bags, but Jesse took them for me and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said, slinging my carry on over my shoulder. He raised the eye-brow with the scar in it and said, "Querida. I know you better than that. What's wrong?"

"I just have a bad feeling."

Jesse looked over at me when I said that. I'd been getting these lately, and ever time I had a certain feeling, he knew this, that they came true. I didn't know what was going to happen this time. But I knew something bad was going to happen.

"Like we shouldn't get on the plane?" Jesse asked me as we handed the lady our tickets. I shook my head and said, "No. I concentrated on that earlier, and it wasn't that." I smiled at the lady, and walked down the long hall behind Paul and Eric. Cee and Josie had already left the day before with my mom who had to drive. I would have, but I had to stay for the judge's meeting this morning and Jesse wouldn't let Mom fly for some reason.

"Window or aisle?"

"Aisle." I mumbled to Jesse, coming out of my thoughts once more. Jesse wrapped an arm around me and said, "Querida-" He placed our bags on that spinny thing that takes your bags. "-maybe you should tell Father Dominic about your-"

"Seventh Sense?" I asked him with a smile as I looked up to him. He smiled back down on me and said, "Yes."

"I will." We walked together in the direction where we were getting on our plane. Once we were boarding, I got the weird feeling again. I don't know why. All I was doing was thinking of Gina. I sighed as we climbed on to the plane and found our seats. Jesse sat beside me, while Eric and Paul sat down behind us.

"Please fasten your seatbelts." Came a voice over the speakers. I did so, and sank lower into my seat. This time, it wasn't just my fear of flying that was getting the best of me. It was that stupid feeling I couldn't shake. Jesse rested a comforting hand on my knee. I sighed and leaned into him making a snort come from behind us, "Please don't start making out."

"Paul." Jesse said in a warning voice as he turned to look at him. Paul shrugged all inoccently and said, "What, Jesse? You know what happened when we all went to-"

"Oh, gah." I mumbled, "Please. Please do not repeat that ever."

Jesse grinned, knowing what I was talking about and said, "Wait, Paul. Refresh my memory."

Times like this, I hated the fact that they were on friend terms now. I'd take the bloody windowseat anytime. Paul snickered and leaned in between our seats so we could see him. I rolled my eyes as he said, "When we went to Miami for Spring Break?"

Jesse laughed as Paul continued, "She talked that dude from Mexico because she thought he was Johnny Depp!" Both boys started laughing. It even had Eric laughing too, and he wasn't even there. "And then you had to talk to him in Spanish because he thought she was trying to rape him!"

Now, all three boys were laughing their butts off just like Satan was doing millions of miles into the firey center of the earth's core. Where, right now, I felt like throwing Paul, Jesse and Eric. I groaned as Jesse said, "Johnny, wait for me!"

I turned around and gaped at them. Then I said, "It was an honest mistake. I was tired."

"Mi amor-" Jesse said, smirking, "-you accidently drank-"

"I know what I accidently drank." I hissed at him, "Dog, Jesse. I know. I just don't understand why on earth you two had to bring that up!" I turned around and glared at his smiling face as he said, "It took your mind off of it, didn't it?"

I stared at him and Paul who exchanged smiles. I rolled my eyes and said, "Yes. But it was still mean." Jesse turned back to Paul and soon the three boys were talking about something. I groaned and silently wished that I had Josie and Cee on the plane with me. Closing my eyes, and with my iPod on full blast, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

_"She twists everything around! She's a liar!"_

_"False memory sendrome...where the person takes one thing and makes into something that it's not..."_

_I looked into the horrifed face of my mother as I locked the door and opened the pill bottle, "SUSIE! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"_

**۞Summer۞**

"Mrs. Ackerman, how are you doing today?" Jesse asked her in that sweet completely phony voice. I knew it was fake, but it had my mom beaming. Jesse could even make my mom swoon when he wanted to. I was waiting outside her door until Jesse gave me the okay to come in.

"I'm doing better. Is Suze here?" I heard her ask. Jesse laughed and said, "Yes. She's outside waiting until I after I check your..." He paused for a moment, as if looking at something, then aksed, "...when was the last time someone came in and took your blood pressure?"

My heart fell. She had always had high blood pressure. I rolled my eyes, telling myself that I was just scaring myself, and looked over at the nurse's station. Lance looked up at me with those big blue eyes worthy of Elijah Wood...or, maybe Spongebob instead. He smiled at me, suggestively.

"Oh, dog." I mumbled, quickly turning away. And here all along I've been thinking that Lance was gay. I glanced at the elevator to see Paul walking in. He smiled sadly and said, "Hey, Susie-Q." I walked over to him and wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"Hey, sweetie." I whispered against his shoulder. I opened an eye to see Cee coming out of the elevator with Joey close behind her. I pulled back and asked, hesitantly, "How is he?"

He shrugged and said, "Not any better. Worse if anything." Paul looked down at the floor. I so knew how he felt. It was a sucky feeling. "They're not giving him another day."

"Oh, gosh." I whispered, hugging him again. He put his arms around me for a long time before someone cleared their throat behind me. I broke away from Paul to see Jesse tugging at his doctor's jacket. In it, I swear, he would have totally fit in on Grey's Anatomy. Dr. de Sexy would totally give Dr. McDreamy a run for his money. He'd be out of business once they laid eyes on Jesse.

He stopped tugging at it before saying with a smile, this time a genuine one, " I didn't mean to interrupt-" Sure you didn't, Hector. "You can go see her now, querida." He turned to look at Paul and waited for a moment before saying, "Hey, Paul. How are you-" He trailed off. Paul smiled up at him and said, "I'm fine."

Jesse smiled at him once more before glancing at his sister and saying in a completely different voice, "I need to talk to you later." Her eyes got as wide as baseballs as she said in a sweet voice from where she stood (almost hiding) behind Cee, "What? I didn't do a thing."

"Oh. So I guess the dead squirrel in my desk drawer was all Susannah's idea?" He turned to look at me, to which I truthfully shook my head. He turned back to his sister and said, "Joe, honestly. Could you be any more disgsuting?"

She smiled, looking at me. I couldn't hide my smile as she said, "Yeah, I could."

He rolled his eyes, a habit that had rubbed off from me due to all the time we spent together, and he said, "Whatever. Come on, querida. And go get that dead, rabid squirrel out of my desk, Josephina." She groaned as I reached insdie my purse (my totally hot Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom purse!!) and tossed her his office keys. When he stared at me for a moment, I shrugged and said, "What? I had a copy made."

"Why?"

"I just did. Gosh, Jesse. Get your supernatural panties out of a wad." That made Paul laugh. I was glad. Paul needed to laugh. Jesse rolled his eyes again, but I could tell that he was trying hard not to smile.

When we had almost made it to my mom's room, the elevator beep noise (the sound when it opens. Don't look at me like that.) stopped us. We both turned around to see who it was. And when I saw who it was, my sevent sense kicked into full gear.

Gina looked different. I couldn't place what it was, but something about her looked different. I never got a chance to think about it anymore, because the next thing I knew, I was in Jesse's arms as he yelled, "Lance! Get assistance." Then he said to me in a sweet and gentle voice, "Stay with me, Susannah. Querida, open your eyes."

As much as I wanted to do as he said, I couldn't. And soon I was sent into complete darkness.

**۞Summer۞  
So? What did you think?  
It feels good to be back on the Mediator side...lol...  
But now it's off to work on my pirates fic.  
I love you guys!  
XOXOXO  
-SASTMJ  
-Autumn-**


	6. Author's Note

Hey, guys!  
Remember me? Formely known as SASTMJ.

So, I haven't updated this story in a long time. I lost my touch with Mediator for a while.  
But with this year almost over and stuff, I decided to give this story another try.  
That is if ya'll want me to start this story again : D

So, let me know! And look for an update soon!!!  
-Autumn, aka still will be known in this section as  
SASTMJ!!

Oh, yes...love and Jesse-shaped doggie biscuits to you!!!


End file.
